[development] Generic Authentication Bridging

[Gary (Lists)]

Hello all.


It's Saturday morning and I've convinced myself that:

    a) we're going to fully embracing Drupal, which means a few grumbles ;)

    b) I really need a way to (easily) bridge user authentication
       between Drupal `userid` and several other SQL db's user entries

    c) and so I'd like to begin writing my first Drupal shareable code

    d) our 2-week tests with running pMachine inside Drupal are a success


I am a generally confident PHP programmer, but I must admit that I am only
at about 50% confidence with my knowledge of Drupal's APIs.

Therefore, I'd like to start on this [ (b) ] basic code project in order
that I might solve an immediate need as well as become more confident with
those API's, as they exist in 4.7.

If there are others who find that they might need a similar piece of code
(see more full description below), then I would very much like to start a
collaboration with you.

=================================================================
Project:  Generic User Authentication Look-up Bridge Framework

Project Description:

    I wish to create a basic, super-admin-only set of PHP functions to
bridge the Drupal user's table to (any) other SQL table.

   The Drupal `userid` will be looked up in any of the named DB's and will
considered valid if both `userid` and `password` are the same in both
places.

    Functionality would be modular, allowing the addition of
application-specific bridges for common OSS user-based tools
(i.e., pMachine, Olate Download, etc.)


Project Hopes:

    1)  Simple, flexible design.
    2)  Drop-In Install, Single-Page Management.
    3)  Eventual addition of 'Authenticate and Migrate User' functionality.
=================================================================

Please contact me via email if this is something that you have an interest
in working on.  (Please, hold off on the "I'd like this too, but I have no
way to help" emails until a bit later, okay? ;)

I am open to the possibility that I'm a dreamer and that I this dog won't
hunt.  Please gently discourage, as appropriate.

--
Gary